Defense minister nominee Kang Shin-chul said Thursday that South Korea should pursue the transfer of wartime operational control in a way that strengthens the South Korea-US alliance.
Kang made the remarks as he arrived at the Defense Convention in Yongsan, central Seoul, for his first day of preparations ahead of his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly. The hearing is expected to take place on Sept. 16.
"The OPCON transition is possible because the South Korea-US alliance exists," Kang told reporters.
"If there were no South Korea-US alliance, the issue itself would not exist. We will pursue the OPCON transition in a direction that strengthens the alliance."
Kang was responding to a question about whether the government could meet its goal of setting a target year for the OPCON transfer by the end of this year, with the allies' annual Security Consultative Meeting scheduled for Washington in October.
The Lee Jae Myung administration has pledged to complete the conditions-based OPCON transfer before Lee's term ends in 2030.
Incumbent Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back has said South Korea and the US aim to complete the Full Operational Capability verification this year and discuss the results at the SCM before proposing a target year, often referred to as the "X-year," to the leaders of the two countries.
Kang also addressed the Lee administration's plan to integrate the Army, Navy and Air Force academies, another major defense reform that would fall under his watch if confirmed.
Asked whether he supported the plan when accepting the nomination, Kang acknowledged that there were "various opinions and concerns."
"I believe they all come from a desire to see the military succeed," he said. "I will work to ensure that we can foster outstanding talent."
Asked whether he could reconsider the integration amid opposition calls to scrap the plan, Kang stopped short of giving a direct answer.
"The Army, Navy and Air Force academies have been part of the history of the Republic of Korea. Whatever form they took, wherever they were and whatever names they had, they were the Republic of Korea's military academies," Kang said. The Republic of Korea is South Korea's official name.
"The military academies of the future will also be the Republic of Korea's military academies."
Kang's nomination has drawn added attention as he is himself a graduate of the Korea Military Academy.
The KMA has long produced a large share of the Army's senior leadership, but has also come under scrutiny over some of its graduates' involvement in military coups and other interventions in politics, from former President Chun Doo-hwan to former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, a key figure in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's 2024 martial law declaration.
President Lee cited that history during a government policy briefing on Aug. 5 while calling for the swift integration of the military academies.
Lee said military coups in South Korea had been carried out by Army and KMA graduates and questioned why the academy had not been held accountable. He argues integration could help reduce the risk of another military intervention in politics.
Kang was also asked Thursday whether he had any involvement in Yoon's martial law scheme, as he was serving as deputy commander of the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command at the time.
"I understand that the presidential chief of staff has already given a clear answer to that question," Kang said.
When announcing Kang's nomination Sunday, presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said government reviews had found no evidence that the nominee was involved in the martial law episode.
Kang, a retired four-star Army general, served as CFC deputy commander from 2023 to 2025. He has also held a series of key operational and strategic posts, including chief director of operations and chief director of strategic planning at the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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